Art of Dying

‘Death and life are two polarities of the same energy, of the same phenomenon – the tide and the ebb, the day and the night, the summer and the winter. They are not separate and not opposites, not contraries; they are complementaries. Death is not the end of life; in fact, it is the completion of one life, the crescendo of one life, the climax, the finale. Once you know your life and its process, then you understand what death is.’

When Mulla Nasrudin was dying he called his son, told him to come close and said to him, ‘My son, I have one thing to say to you – even though I know you will not listen, because I didn’t listen to my own father when he was dying. He told me, “Nasrudin, don’t chase women too much.” But I could not resist; the temptation was too much. And I got involved with one woman, another woman….’ He married nine women – the maximum that the Koran permits.And he said, ‘I have created a hell. I suffered much. I know you don’t listen but still I am saying it, because now I am departing and there will be no chance to say it to you. I know you will fall in love with women but at least remember one thing from your old man: My son, one at a time, one at a time. At least do that much.’